September 14, 2020

Griffith: I Wasn’t “Summoned” By PM

By Newsroom

After attending a meeting this morning, called by Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley, Police Commissioner Gary Griffith is taking issue with the messaging from the Office of the Prime Minister which stated the meeting was summoned by the PM. Commissioner Griffith says this put the meeting in a “bad light” insisting that is was a cordial engagement.

See the full statement from the TTPS below:

The Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) advises that Commissioner of Police, Gary Griffith was invited, and not summoned to a meeting with the Prime Minister, Dr the Honourable Keith Rowley, at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s, this morning.

The TTPS pointed out that the invitation came through the Minister of National Security, for the CoP, as well as the Attorney General and the two Deputy Commissioners of Police, Jayson Forde and Mc Donald Jacob to attend.

A post on the Prime Minister’s Facebook page this morning stated, “Commissioner of Police, Gary Griffith and Acting Deputy Commissioners of Police Forde and Jacob attended a meeting this morning summoned by Prime Minister Dr the Hon. Keith Rowley.”

The TTPS says it is unfortunate that the Communications Unit of the Office of the Prime Minister does not understand the difference between “invited” and “summoned”. The TTPS says it was also unfortunate that the Communications Unit at the OPM could try and put the Prime Minister in such a bad light, when that certainly was not the atmosphere and purpose of the meeting at the Diplomatic Centre this morning.

The TTPS notes that the meeting was very cordial, and now the emphasis will be on all parties moving forward to ensure that the Public Health Ordinance regulations are adhered to by members of the public during the Covid-19 Pandemic.

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